Tokyo, June 08, 2020 -- Moody's Japan K.K. has today confirmed Toyota Industries
Corporation's (TICO) A2 issuer and senior unsecured ratings.
The rating outlook is changed to negative from rating under review.
This action was primarily prompted by Moody's decision to confirm
Toyota Motor Corporation's (TMC) A1 long-term ratings with
a negative outlook, as announced on 27 May 2020.
This action also concludes TICO's review for downgrade, which was
initiated on 27 March 2020.
RATINGS RATIONALE
The rapid and widening spread of the coronavirus outbreak, deteriorating
global economic outlook, falling oil prices, and asset price
declines are creating a severe and extensive credit shock across many
sectors, regions and markets. The combined credit effects
of these developments are unprecedented. The automotive sector
has been one of the sectors most significantly affected by the shock given
its sensitivity to cyclical demand and sentiment.
The confirmation of TICO's ratings with a negative outlook primarily
follows the same action on TMC's ratings, because TICO's
ratings incorporate an uplift to reflect its strong business relationship
with TMC and the cross-shareholdings between the two companies.
The one-notch differential in the companies' ratings reflects
the lack of a guarantee from TMC to TICO. To maintain the rating
differential, the level of uplift from TICO's A3-level
standalone credit quality is compressed to one notch, although the
companies' longstanding and strong ties could potentially lead to
a two-notch uplift.
TICO's standalone credit quality reflects the company's leading
market position as a manufacturer of forklift and car air-conditioning
compressors. Moody's expects TICO's competitive products,
technological expertise, and extensive service network will support
its long-term fundamental ability to generate cash flow,
despite a likely significant market downturn in its automotive and material
handling businesses through 2020 resulting from the coronavirus outbreak.
Moody's expects that TICO will implement cost cuts and other operational
reforms to address near-term stress in its markets. TICO
has a solid track record of maintaining its EBITA margin above 10%
throughout the last few years, which is a level comparable to that
of similarly rated peer such as Deere & Company (A2 stable).
TICO's ample liquidity with a large amount of cash should also help
the company contend with near-term stress.
Environmental, social and governance (ESG) factors play a role in
Moody's assessment of TICO's credit quality. In terms of
governance, in particular TICO's strong relationship with
TMC is a significant credit factor. This relationship is underpinned
by overlapping business ties, such as TMC being TICO's main customer
accounting for about a tenth of its sales, and governance,
as seen in their cross-shareholdings and secondment of management.
TMC is also TICO's largest shareholder with an approximate 25%
stake, while TICO in turn is TMC's largest shareholder with
an 8% stake.
TICO also has exposure to environmental risks arising from challenges
faced by the global automotive industry such as tightening emission regulations
and evolving powertrain technologies. TICO's ratings incorporate
its strong track record of meeting various demands from automobile manufacturers,
such as greater fuel efficiency, as well as the leading market position
of its electrified car air-conditioning compressors. Forklifts
are also subject to emission regulations, although the electrification
of TICO's products and the sector is at a more advanced stage than
for the auto industry.
Moody's regards the coronavirus outbreak as a social risk under
its ESG framework, given the substantial implications for public
health and safety.
FACTORS THAT COULD LEAD TO AN UPGRADE OR DOWNGRADE OF THE RATINGS
An upgrade of TICO's ratings is unlikely in the near term,
given the negative outlook.
The outlook could return to stable at the A2 level if the outlook on the
TMC's A1 rating returns to stable, or if the underlying credit profile
of TICO strengthens to such a degree that its fundamental credit strength
improves to the A2 level, and the company is able to demonstrate
a material decoupling from TMC.
Moody's could downgrade TICO's ratings if TMC's rating is
downgraded, or if TICO's standalone credit profile weakens.
Downward pressure on TICO's standalone profile would arise if the
company reports a sustained decline in earnings such that its EBITA margin
remains below 8%, or the company's debt/EBITDA (excluding
captive finance operations) remains above 3.0x.
The principal methodology used in these ratings was Manufacturing Methodology
(Japanese) published in March 2020 and available at https://www.moodys.com/researchdocumentcontentpage.aspx?docid=PBC_1216244.
Alternatively, please see the Rating Methodologies page on www.moodys.com
for a copy of this methodology.
Toyota Industries Corporation, headquartered in Aichi, Japan,
is a leading manufacturer of lift trucks, car air-conditioning
compressors, and air-jet looms.
REGULATORY DISCLOSURES
For further specification of Moody's key rating assumptions and
sensitivity analysis, see the sections Methodology Assumptions and
Sensitivity to Assumptions in the disclosure form. Moody's
Rating Symbols and Definitions can be found at: https://www.moodys.com/researchdocumentcontentpage.aspx?docid=PBC_79004.
For ratings issued on a program, series, category/class of
debt or security this announcement provides certain regulatory disclosures
in relation to each rating of a subsequently issued bond or note of the
same series, category/class of debt, security or pursuant
to a program for which the ratings are derived exclusively from existing
ratings in accordance with Moody's rating practices. For ratings
issued on a support provider, this announcement provides certain
regulatory disclosures in relation to the credit rating action on the
support provider and in relation to each particular credit rating action
for securities that derive their credit ratings from the support provider's
credit rating. For provisional ratings, this announcement
provides certain regulatory disclosures in relation to the provisional
rating assigned, and in relation to a definitive rating that may
be assigned subsequent to the final issuance of the debt, in each
case where the transaction structure and terms have not changed prior
to the assignment of the definitive rating in a manner that would have
affected the rating. For further information please see the ratings
tab on the issuer/entity page for the respective issuer on www.moodys.com.
For any affected securities or rated entities receiving direct credit
support from the primary entity(ies) of this credit rating action,
and whose ratings may change as a result of this credit rating action,
the associated regulatory disclosures will be those of the guarantor entity.
Exceptions to this approach exist for the following disclosures,
if applicable to jurisdiction: Ancillary Services, Disclosure
to rated entity, Disclosure from rated entity.
The ratings have been disclosed to the rated entity or its designated
agent(s) and issued with no amendment resulting from that disclosure.
This ratings are solicited. Please refer to Moody's Policy
for Designating and Assigning Unsolicited Credit Ratings available on
its website www.moodys.com.
Regulatory disclosures contained in this press release apply to the credit
rating and, if applicable, the related rating outlook or rating
review.
Moody's general principles for assessing environmental, social
and governance (ESG) risks in our credit analysis can be found at https://www.moodys.com/researchdocumentcontentpage.aspx?docid=PBC_1133569.
At least one ESG consideration was material to the credit rating outcome
announced and described above.
The Global Scale Credit Rating on this Credit Rating Announcement was
issued by one of Moody's affiliates outside the EU and is endorsed
by Moody's Deutschland GmbH, An der Welle 5, Frankfurt
am Main 60322, Germany, in accordance with Art.4 paragraph
3 of the Regulation (EC) No 1060/2009 on Credit Rating Agencies.
Further information on the EU endorsement status and on the Moody's
office that issued the credit rating is available on www.moodys.com.
Please see www.moodys.com for any updates on changes to
the lead rating analyst and to the Moody's legal entity that has issued
the rating.
Please see the ratings tab on the issuer/entity page on www.moodys.com
for additional regulatory disclosures for each credit rating.
Ryohei Nishio
Analyst
Corporate Finance Group
Moody's Japan K.K.
Atago Green Hills Mori Tower 20fl
2-5-1 Atago, Minato-ku
Tokyo 105-6220
Japan
JOURNALISTS: 81 3 5408 4110
Client Service: 81 3 5408 4100
Mihoko Manabe
Associate Managing Director
Corporate Finance Group
JOURNALISTS: 81 3 5408 4110
Client Service: 81 3 5408 4100
Releasing Office:
Moody's Japan K.K.
Atago Green Hills Mori Tower 20fl
2-5-1 Atago, Minato-ku
Tokyo 105-6220
Japan
JOURNALISTS: 81 3 5408 4110
Client Service: 81 3 5408 4100